Cinnamon and Spears
by Serie11
Summary: Sayaka works in a coffee shop. Kyouko comes in sometimes. Sayaka doesn't want anything to do with the red haired girl, except for the not-so-small fact that she thinks she's falling in love with her.
1. The List

(AN: Since it's Tess' birthday, and she's always complaining that there isn't enough long fics, I decided to write one for her for a present )

Chapter One

Sayaka turns the cream machine on, watching as it whips the cream around and thickens it quickly. Turning it off so it doesn't over whip, she spoons some out and into the cup before her. Sprinkling chocolate over the top, she gives it to the man waiting for his order, taking his money and giving him change. There was no one standing in line after him, and Sayaka takes the slight break to tidy up behind the counter. Dumping all the dishes in the dishwasher, she restocks the ingredients that have become depleted and puts more sweets and cakes in the display.

Just as she finishes, there's a loud banging from the kitchen, and making sure there are no more customers, she rushes to the back.

Madoka is sitting in a puddle of milk, the glass from the broken bottle littered around her.

"Don't move!" Sayaka says, hurrying to get the mop and broom, weeping up all of the glass so Madoka couldn't hurt herself. Madoka is looking slightly dazed, and Sayaka helps her up. "Are you okay?" She asks worriedly, sweeping off all of the glass into a pan.

"I'm fine," Madoka says, taking the pan and putting it in the bin. "What are you doing back here? What if a customer is waiting at the front?"

Sayaka suddenly became aware of the _ding ding ding_ that is coming from the service bell sitting on the counter. Eyes wide, she dashes out the front, only to see the back of a red haired girl leaving.

"Wait!" She calls out. "I'm here."

The girl turns and scowls at her, the expression marring her face. Otherwise she could be quite beautiful, Sayaka thinks. She's wearing a green hoodie and short jeans, and she's chewing on a stick of pocky.

Stalking back over to the counter, the girl plants her hands and leans over. "Crappy service you've got here," she snarls. "But a friend told me there was good coffee, so you better not prove me wrong."

Sayaka gulps. "What would you like to order?" She asks, her normally cheery attitude somewhat shaky. She blames it on the girl and her sweet smell that's wafting over the counter from where she's standing.

The girl sniffs, looking down her nose at Sayaka. "Just a cinnamon latte."

Sayaka is particularly careful as she prepares it, wanting the other girl to like it, wanting her to come back here. She sprinkles some chocolate over the top and presents it to the girl, who pays her for it.

"Thanks," she mutters, walking out the door. Sayaka follows her with her eyes, and has to banish the girl from her mind when the afternoon rush starts.

/\/\/\/\

Madoka leaves when Homura comes to pick her up from her shift, and Sayaka leaves the store in the capable hands of the manager when he comes in. Putter her helmet on, she turns the key in her motorbike before zooming down the road towards her home.

Though she tries, she can't get the red haired girl out of her mind. It's annoying, and she finally puts her book away when she realises that she's read the same line four times.

_I hope she liked the coffee. I hope she comes back._

Sayaka shakes her head. She knew this girl for all of three minutes, why was she still thinking about her? She served hundreds of people every day, and no others had stuck in her head for more time than it took to make their coffee and fetch their food. She scowls, pacing around her kitchen, and deciding to make some proper food to try and distract herself. Predictably, it didn't work. Why did she have to become infatuated with strangers she had barely met? It had happened before, but he had been nice, even though she had never seen him again. He'd filled her mind for months and she didn't even know his name.

This girl hadn't even been nice. She'd been kind of mean actually. Sayaka sighs and fetches a glass of water to drink before bed. She changes into her pyjamas, brushes her teeth and slides under the covers, trying not to think of the girl.

_Damn, I really need to get laid. _

/\/\/\/\/\

Madoka is knocking at her door, and Sayaka is still in her sleepwear. The pink haired girl is way too perky for this hour, even as she helps herself to the coffee in the kitchen. Sayaka asks for Madoka to make her some too, and sits down on her couch, the small apartment hindering her efforts as she runs into tables and chairs and stubs her toes at least twice. She can't tell where everything is, even if she's lived here for nearly a year, it's seven in the morning and she's tired.

"Remind me why you're here?" Sayaka asks, rubbing her eyes and glaring half-heartedly at Madoka.

"I'm here because you need to do stuff that isn't Uni and work. So I made a list, and you have to pick one."

Sayaka looks it over, and in her sleepy state some jump out at her. It strikes her that this is a long list.

_Jogging, sewing, cooking with other people, pottery, playing an instrument, joining a gym…_

"Madoka, I don't need a hobby," Sayaka says. It's too early in the morning for this bullshit.

"Yes you do. Seriously, when was the last time you went out and did something just because you wanted to?"

"I read," Sayaka protests.

"Yeah, but that's not something that you do with other people, is it? How many people do you regularly see? Me, Mami, Homura… Is there anyone else? You only see me because of work, and you only see Homura because we're dating, and you only see Mami because you're in the same University course. You see no one outside of work or class, and you need a life."

"But _pottery_? Really Madoka? That's the best you could come up with?"

"Well I don't really know what you're interested in, because you don't do anything," Madoka says exasperatedly. "Just choose something, would you?"

Sayaka frowns at the other girl. "And what, because _you_ do so much stuff?"

Madoka tilts her head. "Fine. You chose something, and we'll both go and do it."

Sayaka narrows her eyes. "Fine, I choose everything."

Madoka blinks. "What?"

"I'll try everything at least once, and you're coming with me for all of them."

Madoka looks like this isn't what she planned when she came over to crash Sayaka's sleep at this ridiculous time. "You can't do that!" She finally exclaims.

"Why not?" Sayaka asks smugly. "I'm doing stuff, and you promised you'd come along, so you're coming."

Madoka sat still, staring off into the distance as Sayaka walks over to her computer, booting it up and starting to search for some of the ridiculous things that were on Madoka's list.


	2. It Began With A Latte

(AN: The second chapter! I'll post this before I go off hiking for a few days… Hope you enjoy!)

Chapter Two

By the time midday rolls around, Sayaka has the names of places where one or more of the tasks on the list can be completed. Homura has her three Uni lessons today, and how she had the luck of getting all three lessons in a week on the same day Sayaka will never know. At least she only has to be focused for one day, she muses as she scribbles down the name of a place that had free yoga once a month.

She is in the same law course as Homura, but their majors are different, and Sayaka only had one course in the afternoon to go to today. Her others are on Monday night and Thursday morning.

She'd started a timeline, since she can usually find somewhere where they do free classes once a month or every few weeks, and she doesn't want to waste money on stuff she can do for free. The coffee shop doesn't pay _that_ well.

She makes a sandwich for herself and Madoka, who eats it silently. She has her own computer, and is tapping into Sayaka's wifi, which she swears is half the reason Madoka is here so often. Homura is never on the internet, but Madoka can't live without it, and Sayaka has quite a decent amount to use.

"So what do you want to do first?" Sayaka asks. Madoka looks over her list, seemingly realising for the first time how ridiculous some of these actually are.

"I don't know."

"Then pick one," Sayaka says, raising an eyebrow.

Madoka purses her lips and closes her eyes. Running a finger down the list, she stops and opens her eyes, reading what it had landed on.

"Archery."

"Well lucky for you, there's a free try archery course on tomorrow. How about we meet up here, and I can drive us down there?"

Madoka looks put out about riding on Sayaka's scooter which she calls 'a trip and a way to die that's more extreme than the usual ways to get high,' as well as missing out on her Sunday morning. Sayaka thought she's ridiculous, but Madoka didn't shift in her opinion. Madoka left after that to be home when Homura got there, still looking disgruntled. Sayaka would make her feel better about all this – but if she didn't perk up, then she asked for it.

She spends the rest of the day working on an essay for school, something she had been able to put off when Madoka was there, as she didn't like working when other people were in the apartment with her, before heading off to the University she attends. Homura is already in the room when Sayaka walks in, and she listens to Professor Kyuubey drone on for an hour and a half before she can escape from the classroom.

Homura never really was one for light chit chat, so they parted after a few questions about each other's weeks, Homura making her excuses when Sayaka told her that Madoka is waiting for her at her house.

Looking after the dark haired girl, an image of the girl from the café flashes through her mind. She catches herself wishing that she was waiting for her at home before she shakes it off. She doesn't even know the girl's name, she shouldn't be thinking about her.

She rides home on her scooter and works on the reading that the professor had assigned them. Before she knew it, it was after ten, and she eats leftover spaghetti and meat from yesterday before getting ready for bed and turning the lights off, anticipation thrumming through her at the thought of tomorrow and what she's going to do with Madoka.

/\/\/\/\

Madoka is knocking at her apartment door for a few minutes as Sayaka tries to make herself halfway presentable, a task which she fails miserably. Opening the door, she can't help her smile as the warm, thick scent of coffee fills her nose, and her mouth starts to water.

She drinks the coffee as she gets ready, sliding some jeans and a shirt on. Filling a bottle of water and grabbing some muesli bars, tying her hair up and pulling a jacket on, she locks her apartment door and starts her scooter.

Madoka grips her tightly and screeches slightly when she goes around some of the corners, but they make it to the golf course where the archery course is being held without any problems.

They sign in and stand through the twenty minute safety talk that they have to listen to before shooting any arrows. Sayaka thinks that it's common sense not to shoot anyone, but apparently some people have to be told that.

Madoka doesn't really look thrilled about being here, and Sayaka thinks that she doesn't want to waste her Sunday morning here when she could be at home relaxing with Homura. But she gathers her gear, and is the first one to nock an arrow after the instructor finally lets them shoot.

Madoka aims, and Sayaka is still trying to figure out what goes where, but she notices how… natural it seems for her. She lowers her brows in confusion. Madoka had told her that she had never shot an arrow before.

Madoka lets the arrow go, and it soars through the air, and hits the target. More than hits the target, Sayaka thinks that it is actually in the _exact middle_ of the target.

"Did you… Just do that?" Sayaka asks, blinking and straining her eyes at the target to make sure that it is where she thinks it is.

"Umm." Madoka squints and then shrugs. "Beginners luck, I'm sure."

Except the next arrow that she shoots lands right next to it.

Sayaka looks at Madoka, and Madoka looks back. Slowly she reaches down to the quiver on her hip and draws out another arrow. Sayaka watches as it smoothly sails over to land next to the other two.

"Okay that's freaky," Sayaka finally says. Madoka starts smiling, and shoots again. Sayaka thinks by this point she would be more surprised if she misses than if she hits the bulls eye. Which she did.

"Okay, I'm going to try now," Sayaka tells her. Madoka nods. Sayaka draws her arrow from the quiver on the ground. She didn't get a fancy one like Madoka.

Aiming, she shoots… and watches as it sails over the top, missing by about five metres.

Madoka raises an eyebrow. "Looks like I'm better at this than you," she says as she fires another arrow.

"Hey, not everyone can have creepy random awesomeness," Sayaka complains.

They keep firing arrows at the target for the next hour. Madoka gains the attention of the man running the course, and they talk about her coming back while Sayaka fails miserably. She at least wants to hit the target once, but fate seems to be sending her a big _fuck you_, and making her miss. She gives up about forty minutes in, telling Madoka that the bow mustn't be her weapon of choice.

"Oh yeah?" Madoka asks. "Then what would you rather use?"

Sayaka shrugs. "Something cooler than a bow." Madoka gives her a look that clearly says that Madoka thinks that nothing can be cooler than a bow. "Like a sword or something."

"A sword," Madoka states calmly. "I can see it now. You and your crazy sense of justice, going after bad guys and chopping them into bits. Homura would probably join you, she wants to save the world as much as you do. It's probably why you're both in the same course."

"I wouldn't chop them into bits!" Sayaka exclaims. That's going a bit far, even for her. "Don't be ridiculous Madoka."

Madoka flicks her pink locks out of her face as she aims at the target. "Whatever you say. I just think that it'd be a good look for you."

Sayaka doesn't know how to reply to that, so she spends the next twenty minutes watching Madoka and not thinking about how maybe the red haired girl could be into superheros.

"Did you finish that essay you were complaining about? Homura had to do it as well, and she completed it a few days ago."

Sayaka nods. "Yeah, I did. Did you finish your vet thing?"

Madoka casts a dark look at her. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's not just a 'vet thing.' I take my studies seriously. I want to help animals, and I'm going to do it."

Sayaka smiles at Madoka's rant. He knew how much Madoka's degree meant to her, and Sayaka mostly just teased her about it.

"I believe you," Sayaka says. Madoka sniffs at her before firing another arrow.

The course finishes, and Madoka gazes longingly behind her as she gets onto the bike. She's already made arrangements to come back, and Sayaka wonders how Homura will react when she learns that her girlfriend has taken up archery.

_She'll probably just join in. Anything Madoka likes, Homura gives a try, or at least tolerates. _It's something that Sayaka has always envied about their relationship. They're so easy and open with each other, and Sayaka can very easily imagine them together in ten years.

She drops Madoka off at her house. Madoka's hair is windblown and she staggers off the bike to sit on the ground at the curb.

"You know, it's not that bad," Sayaka says as she takes her helmet off and watches Madoka hold her head on the floor.

"Says you. You have crazy good stability and are used to riding around on that death machine. I'm just thankful for life right now."

Sayaka grins at her friend as they say goodbye and she staggers into the small house that she shares with Homura.

The ride home is quiet, and she gets there quickly. She has work tomorrow, and she checks that her uniform is ready and that she can just grab it and leave in the morning.

Everything's ready, and the red haired girl comes to mind _again_. It's starting to make her annoyed, how she would be thinking of nothing, and then suddenly she would just _be there_.

It's ridiculous, and she puts her out of her mind as she makes dinner, eats it, and reads the next few chapters of _A Game of Thrones_. Homura had told her to read it, and Sayaka is just beginning to get really interested. She really likes the Stark family, but Daenerys is the character that's caught her attention, and she's already rooting for her.

She turns her light off and refuses to think about the red haired girl.


	3. Kyouko Sakura

Chapter Three

Sayaka chose the next thing on Madoka's list. On the weekend, there is an event that happens once in six months down at the local river, where you could kayak for free for a few hours. Sounds good, especially since she hasn't had to spend money on anything other than fuel so far. She knows that that can't last forever, and she is making the most of it for as long as it lasts.

The kayaking is fun, and Sayaka enjoys spending most of her time splashing Madoka, much to the other girl's dismay. Homura had elected to come along, and she powered around the area they could paddle, her solemn face giving away nothing. If she enjoyed it, then Sayaka wouldn't have known. She probably told Madoka, but Sayaka is pretty sure that Madoka had other thoughts in her mind when Homura got out of the water, her shirt soaking wet and clearly showing the bra underneath. Sayaka had cleared her throat and politely turned her head, but Madoka had just stared with a star struck expression.

It hadn't been an extraordinary experience, and Sayaka doesn't think that she'll be going back. Madoka had stumbled into work the next day tired and with shadows under her eyes, but she looked content and happy. Sayaka didn't ask.

That had led to a normal morning, and Sayaka had caught herself wishing that Kyouko would come in. The red haired girl hadn't come in ever since she had introduced herself, and Sayaka found herself missing her.

She doesn't understand this crush. Sure, Kyouko is attractive, and confident, and Sayaka would love to run her hands through that hair… She shakes her head. But she's also brash, rude and impatient. Sayaka wouldn't have said that she is someone who is attracted based on looks alone, but she hadn't encountered a single redeeming feature about the girl yet, and she couldn't stop thinking about her.

Rubbing her hands over her face, she kept the thoughts stewing at the back of her mind for the rest of the day as she served customers. Madoka hovered around in the back of the store, and waved to her when she left. Sayaka is left at the store, the last one to be here, getting ready to close in an hour before she goes home.

There are never any customers at this time of night, and that's why she's surprised when she hears the chime of the door opening.

She looks up, and her mouth goes dry when she realises who just walked into the shop.

Kyouko swings her hair out of her face as she approaches the counter. Sayaka doesn't know her mouth is open until Kyouko smirks at it from across the counter.

Shutting her mouth with a snap, she takes a deep breath in. "How can I help you?" She asks, watching as the florescent lights of the café shines across Kyouko's hair, highlighting parts of it.

Kyouko leans forward, and just looks at her for a moment. "Cinnamon latte," she finally says. Sayaka feels frozen under that gaze, Kyouko studying her as if she's fascinating to the other girl.

She swallows and makes the latte, feeling Kyouko's eyes following her as she moves around behind the counter.

"You alone here at this time of night?" Kyouko asks.

Sayaka looks at her from lowered brows. _Why is she asking me questions?_

"Yeah, everyone else has already left."

"When does this place close?"

"Eleven."

"So in," Kyouko checks the sports watch on her left hand. "Fifty minutes or so."

Sayaka nods and gives Kyouko her latte. Kyouko pays, but doesn't move. "You probably don't get many people coming here at this time of night."

Sayaka had never had any customers after nine o'clock before, but she isn't about to tell Kyouko that. "Not really."

Kyouko looks at the cakes still in the display stand. "What do you do with the leftover food?"

Sayaka narrows her eyes slightly. "I take some home, and if it's still good and from today we sell it tomorrow. But some just goes in the bin."

Kyouko's face darkens. "I don't like food to be wasted."

"Do you want the stuff I'm going to throw out tonight?" It's totally impulsive, and if it had been any other person then Sayaka wouldn't have said it. But her stupid crush is making her brain fuzzy, and having Kyouko talk to her is making her feel giddy. Seeing Kyouko like that just made her want to fix it.

Kyouko looks up, and her face wars between two reactions. She finally shrugs. "Sure, whatever, if you were just gonna throw them out."

Sayaka begins to silently package some of the leftover food, giving Kyouko all the extras. The red haired girl watches her silently, sipping her latte, and Sayaka can feel her eyes drilling holes in her back.

She gives Kyouko the food, and the other girl tucks it into her bag. "Thanks," she says grudgingly. Kyouko turns and walks over to one of the tables, and Sayaka begins cleaning up again, slower than before, conscious of the other person in the room. Kyouko awkwardly wanders up to the counter again when she's done and Sayaka is cleaning up the till.

"Bye," Kyouko says. Sayaka looks up at her, and their eyes meet for a few seconds.

"Goodbye," Sayaka says, and Kyouko flicks her hair over her shoulder before walking out of the door.

Sayaka finishes everything, and locks the door to the café, thinking about Kyouko and how she had turned up and asked her those questions, and how Sayaka had given her the food.

All in all, it had been a weird night. And she had school tomorrow.

_Damn._

/\/\/\/\/\

Mami is her normal self when Sayaka turns up for classes in the morning. The English major is reading a textbook, but she looks up when Sayaka calls, and she grins, her perfect ringlets bouncing in time with her movements. How she managed to make her hair look like that Sayaka had no idea, and she had never been able to make Mami tell her how.

"Good morning Sayaka!" Mami chirps to the younger girl. "You look tired. Long night at the café?"

That plus the time Sayaka had been awake after she had got home. "You could say that." This whole Kyouko thing is tiring her out. With the mid-terms coming up, that is not something that she needs.

Mami nods. "You're dedication to your job is to be admired."

"Well I didn't get a full ride here, unlike some people. I have to pay my funds, and having a job goes a long way towards that."

Sayaka yawns, her body loose after last night and the good sleep she had got. Too bad it had been far too short a period of time.

"You'll be right. Just pay attention in class, and you can nap later."

Sayaka nods, and attempts to follow Mami's advice throughout the lesson. Her teacher's voice though… so droning… She is so tired… Could go to sleep right now…

No. She shakes herself and takes down a line of notes. She can't afford to fail this class, and falling asleep in the middle of it would only be dancing with danger.

The class drags on for what seems like forever, and Mami takes pity on her as they leave. "Do you want to go and grab some coffee?" She asks.

Sayaka can't nod fast enough. "Would I ever, " she says, already salivating at the thought of the delicious hot brew.

They stop at a small coffee shop and grab some coffee to go. Sayaka had caught the bus this morning, not wanting to tempt fate by riding her scooter and maybe falling asleep at the lights. Mami walks with her as they wind through the city, ending up at the park in the middle of it. They finish their coffee, and about ten minutes later Sayaka starts to feel it as the caffeine starts to kick in.

She can participate in the conversation a tad better now, and she talks to Mami for an hour before the other girl has to leave for her job, working at one of the bookstores downtown.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Mami says as she packs her bag, getting ready to leave. "I recommended your café to this girl I know. She seems a bit rough, but has a good heart. You should keep an eye out for her."

Sayaka had focused on Mami halfway through the sentence. "What's her name?" She asks, trying to sound casual.

"Kyouko. Long, red hair, maybe a bit rude. Have you noticed her?"

_Oh have I ever. _"Yes, sounds like a girl that's come in two or three times over the last few weeks."

Mami nods. "Well that's her. It'd be nice if you got to know her a bit. The reason I sent her over your way is because I thought that you two would get along well."

And with that Mami waves goodbye and leaves. Sayaka sits in the park for another ten minutes, watching the life of the city move around her, thinking of red hair and short shorts, and how good that green jacket would look sprawled on her bedroom floor.


	4. Finals

Chapter Four 

With her semester finals coming up, Sayaka gives her shifts over to other workers at the café. Every time she was supposed to have a shift but is instead at her apartment studying, she can't concentrate. She watches the clock, thinks of what could be happening at the café, if Kyouko could be there. Madoka tells her that she hasn't seen the red haired girl, but she works out the back and isn't out the front every second of her shift.

She imagined that Kyouko would come in, look for her, go out, come back later, find that Sayaka is still not there and leave again. She could imagine Kyouko giving up and never coming back again, and Sayaka would end up pining over someone she could never see again.

She supposes that she could ask Mami if she knew Kyouko, but Mami could have just given directions and a recommendation to a stranger on the street.

Sayaka resolutely puts her out of her head again and again, but nothing seems to work. Eventually she resorts to thinking about the laws she would break if she started stalking Kyouko, trying to think of the exact paragraphs and wording of what she's trying to memorize.

Madoka comes over to study away from Homura, but ends up falling asleep on her couch. Sayaka doesn't have the luxury of sleeping, and finishes her essay around three o'clock in the morning. Madoka is still snoring on her couch when she goes to bed.

Homura doesn't look much better when Sayaka arrives in the morning to class. Her eyes have shadows under them, but she sighs as she hands the essay in.

"Never again," she promises. Sayaka doesn't know what she's vowing to never do again, but she agrees one hundred percent.

"Me either," she slurs. God, they both sound so drunk. From what she could make out, the rest of her class sounds stoned as well.

Homura runs a hand over her face. Her hair is out, unlike how it's usually plaited. Sayaka thinks she looks more badass.

She doesn't know how she makes it through the rest of the day, and half of it is spent sleeping. As soon as she gets home she crashes, not even bothering to take her clothes off.

She wakes with a weird taste in her mouth and her skin protesting where her clothes are diffing uncomfortably into it. She still has another two tests that week and another essay due on Friday. When she looks at the time she realises that it's nearly time for her to leave for school.

She skips a shower in favour of cooking a large breakfast, since she hadn't eaten dinner last night.

The week of exams takes it out of her. She makes enough spaghetti for three and easts it all before waking up the next morning. Except when she walks outside to get some fresh air, the stall next to her apartment block is selling the papers for Sunday.

She had slept through an entire day.

Drinking some coffee at a small shop near where she lives, she revels in the feeling of not having to do anything. She drinks two more large cups of coffee and eats a muffin before heading back to her apartment. They have a two week break from class, and she has work nearly every day, making up for the time and shifts she had taken off while studying for her tests, but they didn't start until Monday. Which was tomorrow. Jesus, how did she sleep through an entire day?

She checks her phone and finds a voice mail from Madoka.

"Hey Sayaka, it's Madoka. You didn't pick up your phone, so I'm guessing that you don't want company. I was just calling because Homura's collapsed in our bed, so I wanted to check on you. You're probably collapsed as well, I saw the crazy workload you guys had. Anyway, I hope you're okay. Call me when you get this."

Sayaka presses the call back button, and it rings a few times before Madoka picks up.

"Hey Sayaka," she whispers. "Homura is still sleeping, let me just go outside." There's a pause, and then she speaks again, this time louder.

"Hey, are you alive? You didn't call me yesterday, and Homura woke up for about half an hour to scarf down some food before falling asleep and nearly face planting in her food."

Sayaka laughs. "Yeah, I woke up an hour ago, went out and got some food then checked my phone. We were both pretty damn wiped after this week. I'm still tired."

"Well we have work tomorrow, so don't sleep through then either."

Sayaka smiles. "Yeah, I won't. I'm just normal tied instead of crazy fall asleep while I'm driving home and kill someone tired."

There's a pause. "You didn't… actually kill someone, did you?"

Sayaka holds in a grin. "Of course not Madoka, don't be ridiculous."

Madoka lets out a big sigh. "Well you can't blame me after what you just said. And you're the type of person who would accidentally kill someone in a car crash."

"I'm going to ignore what that means you think of me. Anyway, I'm fine, so you go and look after Homura."

"She doesn't need much looking after. I'll just go make some food for her when she wakes up."

"Okay. See you later Madoka."

"Bye Sayaka."

Sayaka hangs up. She can't wait until her shift tomorrow.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sayaka waits patiently all day. All she can think about is how Kyouko showed up after everyone else had left, and she can't shake the feeling that's when she's going to turn up today.

She tries not to let it distract her, but she spills coffee and makes the wrong orders all day. When her manager notices, she just claims that it's after semester jitters, and that it'll go away soon enough.

Since she's working a double shift, she gets there at ten, and won't leave until ten. She usually has the whole day to herself and is at work for the dinner rush, so having people walk in and still able to order breakfast is a little disorientating.

Madoka leaves around nine, and Sayaka starts her usual routine of cleaning up. When the bell about the door dings to let her know there's a customer walking in, she looks up.

Kyouko is wearing another pair of short jeans, this one more ragged than the last. She has her green army jacket on, and still has a stick of pocky in her mouth.

"So you're finally back, she drawls as she leans up against the counter.

"Couldn't stay away from your pretty face," Sayaka rebuts, and tenses slightly, waiting for Kyouko's answer.

Kyouko laughs, throwing her head back, and Sayaka feels a well of satisfaction that she can make the other girl do that. She already loves that laugh, wants to hear every day for the rest of her life.

_I'm so gone on this girl it isn't even funny anymore_, she thinks as she watches Kyouko.

"If you say so," Kyouko grins, and Sayaka answers in kind.

"So are you just here for my witty conversation, or do you want some coffee?"

"A cinnamon latte with some of that slice you've got there would be nice."

Sayaka carefully prepares the food, feeling Kyouko's eyes on her the entire time. She puts it on the counter and slides it over to the other girl, who eyes the package hungrily. And if Kyouko commented on the fact that there were two pieces of slice inside, Sayaka could just tell her it came in pairs.

Kyouko gives her a twenty, and Sayaka hands her the change. Kyouko then gives back a five, winking at her. "The waitress needs a tip," she says, before greedily starting to suck down her food.

Sayaka tucks the tip into the back of her pocket, watching Kyouko lean on the counter. She finishes cleaning up everything behind the counter, putting the food she would take home in a bag, and the ones that were good for tomorrow in the small fridge out the back. When she came back out, Kyouko had finished her food and was sucking on another stick of pocky.

"Where do you pull those from? I walk out for two seconds and you have another one?"

Kyouko shrugs, grinning. "I like 'em, so I eat 'em."

Sayaka can't argue with that logic, so she lets it lie. Fetching the mop, she starts to clean the floors, surprised when Kyouko joins her, bending too far forward so that Sayaka has a nice view of her ass.

Clearing her throat slightly, she turns away, and they quickly finish cleaning the entire restaurant. Sayaka does all the other small things while Kyouko stacks the chairs on the tables, and when they're done, Sayaka checks the time. Fifteen minutes before she has to clock out.

"You know, you didn't have to do that," Sayaka says, looking at the red haired girl. Kyouko is leaning back against the counter with her hair to one side, and it's giving Sayaka the perfect opportunity to study her shoulders, which are lean and muscled. Sayaka wonders what she does for a living.

"Eh, it was nothing. I wanted to help." Kyouko looks over at the time, and her eyes widen. "But as much as I want to help, I have a class to teach in fifteen minutes, and it takes twenty to get there. I'll see you later, if you're not going to disappear again?"

"I just finished my semester finals, so I'm working double shifts here."

Kyouko nods, ducking her head, but Sayaka still sees her smile. "Rightio then. I'll be around."

Sayaka blinks as Kyouko leaves, before a small smile starts. She finishes everything and goes home, putting her food in her fridge before showering and going to sleep.

Just before she goes to sleep, she entertains the thought that Kyouko could like her back as well.


	5. Don't Waste Food

Chapter Five

Pottery is _disastrous_.

Sayaka had thought that it might not be too hard, but it had proved her wrong in the two hours she and Madoka had spent there. Madoka had managed to get a piece of clay in her eye in the first fifteen minutes, Sayaka had suffered a burn from the kiln, there is still dirt and clay caked under her nails, and the cup she had been supposed to make looks like a lopsided and wonky clam.

"Let's never do that again," Sayaka suggests. Madoka nods, her eye still red from the piece of clay that been dug out by the instructor.

"I can't agree more," Madoka groans. "And I have to call Homura, damn. I don't think either of us are in any shape to get to my house."

"Yeah I don't think so." Sayaka pulls out her phone and rings the dark haired girl. As she explains their situation to Homura, Madoka starts poking around in her fridge. Sayaka scowls at her, but she can't say anything until she hangs up. She says goodbye to her friend, and then snatches a container of leftover Chinese from Madoka's hands. "Hey! This isn't a free for all!"

Madoka glares at her, and tries to tug the container out of Sayaka's hands. "I'm hungry! We spent two hours in that hell-hole, and another hour getting there and back, and I haven't eaten since lunch!"

"Yeah well it's _my_ food. You should at least ask before taking it!"

Madoka lets go and leans against her counter, peering into the still-open fridge. Sayaka glances inside, realises that there's a container of ravioli in there as well, and that she'd rather have the noodles instead of the congealed mass inside the plastic container in her hands. If Madoka was going to stay over, then she'd have to feed her anyway.

She shoves the container to Madoka, and snatches the ravioli out of the fridge for herself. Madoka sighs and heats it up in the microwave. Sayaka just hopes that it won't explode and kill them. It's a very dodgy microwave.

They live through both of the heating of their foods, and Madoka steals her TV remote as she sits on the couch. Sayaka sits at the small table in the living room, content to eat her pasta and watch whatever Madoka put on.

There was Totoro on one channel, so of course Madoka stops on that. Sayaka shrugs. She doesn't mind the movie, and it was near the end anyway.

She finishes her food, and clears away her bowl, putting it in the sink to soak so the sauce comes off easily later. Checking the time, she lets out a breath when she realises that it's nearly ten o'clock. The pottery session had been from six to eight.

"Hey, if you want to make up the couch you can. I'm going to sleep."

Madoka nods, but Sayaka doubts she'll take the time to unfold the bed inside the couch. She'll probably come out here in the morning and find that she's sleeping on top of the cushions.

She gets ready for bed. She had told Kyouko on Friday that Saturday was her day off, even though it was one of the busiest days at the café. She appreciated having the weekend off, and she wanted Kyouko to know that she wouldn't be there, so that she wouldn't swing by and find another worker at the café. Kyouko had nodded her thanks while she had been chewing on _another_ stick of pocky. She had made the other girl laugh twice, and she thought that she could recognise that laugh anywhere now. It was a beautiful thing to listen to.

When she went to grab some coffee and breakfast in the morning, she smiles to herself when she sees that Madoka is snoring away on the unmade couch. She knows that Madoka had a day off today, so she opens her phone and types a text to Homura.

**youre girlfriends at my place. come pick her up later. and no sex on my couch**

The only reply she got was a smiley face. Great. What did _that_ mean? Was she going to have to throw out her couch or not?

Putting it out of her head, Sayaka buys her coffee from the place on the corner, and drinks it before getting ready to go to work. Madoka is still sleeping when she leaves.

The day is going normally until about three, when Kyouko turns up. Sayaka wasn't expecting her until later that day, so when she looks up to serve her next customer to find the red haired girl leaning over the counter, she nearly crashes into another worker behind the counter as he's putting new cakes into the display.

"Easy there. Just a cinnamon latte, if you would."

Sayaka blinks another few times before she realises that Kyouko is smirking at her and the line behind her is starting to get longer. She hurriedly makes the latte and gives it to Kyouko, who winks at her and tips her heavily.

Kyouko goes and sits on one of the tables, thoroughly distracting Sayaka throughout the day, smiling at her whenever their gazes met, and making Sayaka's cheeks heat up every time she did.

It's a few hours later when the commotion happens.

Four boys walk in the door, and Sayaka's shoulders stiffen. She knows of them: they'd been around before, when they were younger, and she knows they are bad news. They had been bad when they were younger, and now that they had legal drinking rights, they'd probably be worse.

One of them came up to the counter and leaned right across it. Sayaka can smell the alcohol on her breath, and she takes a step back.

"How can I help you?" She asks stiffly, wanting to get them out of the café as soon as possible.

The one at the counter rakes his gaze over her, and she feels her cheeks heating with both anger and embarrassment. "There's something you can do for me, if you know what I mean," he slurs, practically sitting on the counter.

Kyouko is watching them, and her eyes are clouded and angry.

"Do you want to buy something," Sayaka asks, trying to be as polite as she could with someone staring at her boobs.

"Suuuuurre," he drawls. "I'll have, uh," he waved his hand at the display case. "One of everything."

Sayaka raises her eyebrows, but when she makes no move to do what he asks, a mad glint comes into his eyes. "I said, one of everything!" He wasn't yelling, not yet, but it was close.

Sayaka rang up the prices and made him pay before giving him the food. He gave her a credit card, and she was fairly sure it had been purloined out of a parent's wallet, but didn't comment on it. She quickly gave him all the food, and he threw a couple cakes at his friends before he crammed a piece of slice in his own face.

The other boys came forward, but when she wasn't looking, one must have thrown something at another, because when she looked back there was a full on food fight going on, with plenty of ammunition.

She managed to duck a piece of pie thrown at her, and she yelled at the boys to stop, but they took no notice of her whatsoever, smashing food into each other's clothes and creating the biggest mess she'd ever seen since coming to work here.

She was staring, open-mouthed, when Kyouko stands up.

It's getting late, and there are only three other people in the café, all who are staring at the people on the ground. Kyouko reaches down and grabs the collar of the one who came up to the counter, and yanks him to his feet.

"Hey! Don't waste food," Kyouko growls.

The boy looks at her disparagingly and continues to throw food at his friends.

Sayaka gulps as Kyouko's face turns dark. She grabs the broom sitting just inside the counter, and pulls off the head, going for the boy with the pole. The boy's eyes widen, and he tries to run, but he can't move fast enough to avoid being hit on the head hard by Kyouko's pole. His friends stand up, but she swishes her pole around and plants the end on the ground. Her face is darkened with fury, and the four boys collectively quiver under it.

She moves the pole so she's holding it parallel to the ground in both hands and takes a step forward. The boys quaver and collectively turn and run out the door. Kyouko smiles, but it's more like a grimace, something forced and furious.

Sayaka swallows. The image of Kyouko in a red outfit, to match her hair, saving people left and right, comes to mind, but Sayaka tries to banish it. _Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it. _But it was there. Another image of the girl in front of her that Sayaka definitely didn't need. Why did this always happen to her? As if she needed _another_ fantasy about this girl.

"Thanks for that," Sayaka says hesitantly. Kyouko turns to watch them as they flee, and Sayaka watches her shoulders unknot, and her grip on the pole becomes loose and easy. Kyouko turns to look at her, letting the pole rest in one hand on the ground.

Kyouko shrugs. "I don't like it when people waste food."

Sayaka resists asking about that. She surveys the room and sighs. Kyouko killed the broom, and the place looks like a bomb full of chocolate filling and vanilla cake was inside it.

The other guests have left, and the other worker looks at the mess and shrugs before clocking out, leaving Kyouko and Sayaka alone in it.

It's going to take her over an hour to clean everything up, even if Kyouko helps. And she has to be here at ten tomorrow. Rubbing her head, she goes to get the mop.

Kyouko may not be the best of helpers when it comes to cleaning, but she tries hard enough. And what she lacks in skill, she makes up for in fun. She talks and talks, and Sayaka smiles and laughs, and it seems like no time passes between them starting and them finishing.

Kyouko has just finished a story about one of her students at her spear classes, which had Sayaka laughing as she cleaned up a carrot cake that had somehow ended up on a window. She looks around, and realises that everything was done. It had taken nearly an hour and a half, but everything was finished.

She closes up the café, and stands with Kyouko on the front steps, her hands in her jacket pockets, and wondering how Kyouko could be standing out here in shorts.

She's about to invite her home, the words are on the tip of her tongue. Not even for anything, just for coffee. Or maybe hot chocolate, since she needs to sleep. Just to get to know this girl in a surrounding that isn't the café. It'd be easy.

Sayaka doesn't know why she hesitates. She opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, Kyouko speaks.

"I should be going. I'll see you later?"

It was the first time Kyouko had ever spoken about meeting up again later. It made her heart flutter for a second in her chest. All she can do is nod, and watch the retreating back of the other girl, her hair swaying about her ass. Sayaka tries not to stare, but she doesn't do a very good job.

God, she is so _screwed_.


	6. The Confrontation

**(AN: The description of the café in this chapter is for the anon who reviewed!)**

Chapter Six

One day, Madoka corners her in her kitchen.

"Who is it?"

Her voice isn't questioning, or uncertain. It's flat, like she's had enough of her bullshit. Which she probably has.

"What are you talking about?" Sayaka asks, although she's not sure why. Madoka can be very perceptive, and even though she hasn't told anyone about Kyouko yet, she knew that Madoka would be the first to guess, although Mami had had a gleam in her eye whenever Kyouko had come up as a topic of conversation between them. But the other girl was focused on her English work, and Sayaka had her own work to focus on.

"You have that same look around you when you were mooning over that guy. So if there's someone who you want to go out with, you're going to do it, because you need more people in your life. And also to stop the mooning. Seriously, both Homura and I are over it."

Sayaka blinks and then sighs. "Okay yes, I've been thinking about someone… But I'm not mooning," she says sharply. She doesn't moon; Madoka is being ridiculous.

Madoka raises an eyebrow. "Tell me everything," she demands.

Sayaka sighs. "Okay."

And she spills everything about Kyouko to Madoka.

/\/\/\/\/\

The café doesn't have many people in at this time of day. The morning sunshine comes through the open, large windows, heating the white tiled floor slightly. The reflection of the sun bounced off the floor and onto the white chairs with their large, pink bows on the backs of them. The poufy cushions that people could sit in didn't escape the sun, and the rays leapt onto the comfortable seats through the bars that made up the backs of the chairs. Since the café was on a corner of two streets, nearly two whole walls were windows.

The decorations on the walls gave the café a cutesy appearance, with their pink, red and white ribbons swirling and dancing in intricate patterns around the walls, covering slices of the wallpaper, which had small strawberries on a dusky light pink background on it. The ceiling was white, but in the paint you could also see patterns and designs in different shades of white and a very, very light pink.

The tables reflected the light, since they were glass topped and prone to bouncing the sun off and into your eyes if you stood in the right position. The legs of the tables and the wood of the chairs were similar to the frames of the windows, as both were carved white wood in similar patterns. And not painted wood either – it was the kind that was naturally white, or as close to as wood could get.

There are only eight tables inside, with chairs for either four or two, but there were another three outside if you wanted to sit out there, which was a popular place to sit.

The uniforms of the workers reflected the café itself. Each worker had a work shirt, and an apron, for if they were cooking. The shirt was either white or black, and the apron was white. The shirt had poufy sleeves that were done in a different colour that matched the colour that their name was in, and it had a sash around their waists that also was that colour. The manager chose what colour to put their names in on their shirt however, and these were most often a colour that suited them. For example, Sayaka's white shirt and apron had both her name done in blue embroidery under the name of the café, _"Ichigo Odoroki," _on them, the same colour as her hair. Her sleeves and sash were the same blue. They had to wear black slacks, but whatever shoes they wanted to, as long as they were covered.

It wasn't a place where you would normally see the kind of clientele that comes in there; that is, business workers. It is a place that would normally only have teenagers and people taking University courses, except for one thing.

They were the only café where you could sit down on the entire, very long, street, and because there were about fifteen office buildings in a row right next door to them. There was also the fact that Sayaka knew that they made some pretty kickass coffee here.

She waited until the business workers started coming for morning tea. She hopes that Kyouko would come in early today, because she didn't have the late shift, and she wanted to see the red-haired girl after spilling everything about her to Madoka. Madoka had shaken her head when Sayaka had told her that she hadn't asked her out yet.

"What are you waiting for?" Madoka had asked, rather crossly. "You're break is nearly over, and soon you'll have to start going to Uni again. And when that happens, and you finally ask her out, when are you going to have time to see her? You hardly have time to see me, and we're best friends. At the end of the term, I thought Homura was seeing you more often than I was because she was in the same class as you! So hurry your ass up, and ask her out."

So, she was going to ask Kyouko out. Today. The thought gave her jitters the entire day, and she was gloomy when it was time to go home, because the other girl hadn't shown up. She was considering staying until she arrived, but realised how weird that would look. She didn't want Kyouko weirded out when she asked her out.

So she went home, and relieved some of the pressure that she'd felt building up in the day. Then she ate dinner, and read until she went to sleep.

She slept in the next day, and only just got up in time to have enough time to be able to get ready and go to the café in order to start her shift. She really is nervous now, because there was nearly a certain chance that Kyouko would see her today. That she would be seeing Kyouko today. That she would be asking the other girl _out_.

_Calm down Sayaka. Calm down. There's still several hours until she's going to get here, and if you're in the hospital because you've passed out from hyperventilating, then she is not going to find you here. _

The thought helps her breathing level out to normal. She serves the day away, and it isn't until about nine that Sayaka comes in. There are still several business people around, those really dedicated to their work, and the café won't be for them alone until they leave.

Kyouko flashes a smile at her. "One cinnamon latte please."

"I had no idea you were going to say that," Sayaka retorts, shaking her head in mock wonder. Kyouko flashes her a smile as she makes the coffee.

They clean up the café, all the while trading light and joking insults at each other's expense. Sayaka says that only someone with a soul colder than the ice outside would wear short shorts in winter, and Kyouko laughs, before telling her how horrible her shirt for her work is, and how only someone with no fashion sense whatsoever would wear it.

They finish quicker than usual, and Sayaka is wiping down the bench with Kyouko leaning on the other side of it. Their talk has grown quieter and more serious over the last half an hour, and there's only a slight teasing edge to some of the remarks. Sayaka had been telling her about her Uni course, when a questions that she asked doesn't get a response. She frowns, and looks up at the other girl.

Kyouko is looking at her seriously, studying her as if she were worthy of that level of attention. Sayaka can feel herself beginning to blush. "Kyouko, what –"

"Why can't I get you out of my head?" Kyouko asks. She doesn't shout, but her voice is nearly that loud. Sayaka blinks. Did she just say that? Was Sayaka really in Kyouko's head as much as Kyouko was in hers?

"Why have I been coming to this God-forsaken café every day, hoping that you would be here? Why do I find myself thinking of you when I finish practising with my staff, or when I'm teaching a class? Who gave you the right," she pushes her head towards Sayaka over the counter, "To make me think about you?"

Sayaka blinks, opens her mouth, closes it, and decides that a stunned silence is the best answer to Kyouko's outburst, because it's the only one she's capable of right now.

Kyouko slowly leans back. Her voice suddenly gets a lot softer and vulnerable, and Sayaka sees the moment when she closes herself off. "Unless you think I'm just some creepy stalker from your work, and you have someone else somewhere else. I could understand that."

And without giving Sayaka the chance to say everything that is resting on the tip of her tongue, Kyouko storms out the door.

Eyes widening, Sayaka leaps over the counter, running out and trying to see where the red-haired girl had gone. The street is empty, so Sayaka calls instead.

"Kyouko! Kyouko, come back! I need to talk to you!"

She waits there well past the time the café would have closed, but she gets no response. Listlessly, she walks back inside the café and robotically starts cleaning everything up. When she finishes it, she grabs her keys and locks up, before starting up her scooter. She looks around one last time for any chance of finding Kyouko anywhere. When there's no flash of red hair, or her laugh that Sayaka could recognise anywhere, she slowly starts to make her way home.

She'd blown her only chance with Kyouko. Who knew if the other girl would ever come back to the café? And if she did, then would she even want to talk to Sayaka?

She cries into her pillow before falling asleep.


End file.
